Su Qing ate breakfast and went to the library first. So when Jiang Sui said he'd come find her, she thought for a moment and texted him the address.
Because it was the weekend, the library was quite crowded, but it was very quiet. The only sound in the still air was the rustling of pages.
One could barely hear a breath.
After wandering around a bit, Su Qing found what she wanted. In the corner of the second floor, on the last row of shelves, the book she wanted was at the very end. It was a bit difficult for her to reach.
She tried to tiptoe and stretch out her arm, but it was just a little short. If she were taller, she would have been able to reach it.
A pair of slender arms reached deep behind her and effortlessly took what she wanted. The back of their hands brushed against her fingertips, their cool backs brushing against hers.
Jiang Sui suddenly appeared, half-embracing, half-circling her from behind. He was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, fresh from a shower. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of his handsome jaw, gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the window. It was so bright it dazzled her.
"Is this it?"
Jiang Sui, unaware of the girl's unusual behavior, placed the book in his own hands, nodded slightly, and leaned close to her ear, his voice soft and unnoticed.
She withdrew her fingertips, regaining her composure and nodding vacantly.
She seemed to have sent him the location just over ten minutes ago, but she wasn't expecting him to arrive so quickly. She suppressed her surprise.
"Anything else you want to buy?"
A faint golden light shone through the quiet air, softening his features.
Su Qing shook her head. She still needed to buy a test paper. The school teacher had asked her to buy one at her own expense these past few days, and she had already done so. She wondered if the person in front of her had bought one, but it was right at the entrance of the bookstore.
At check out, as Jiang Sui was about to pay, Su Qing pressed his palm, meeting his puzzled gaze.
"This is for someone else."
Her fingers touched the copy of Quantum Mechanics. It was for Zhang Yihan. He'd already been admitted to Peking University, so giving him a test paper or something like that wouldn't be helpful. But since she'd heard he was majoring in physics, Su Qing chose this copy.
Since it was for someone else, it was better for her to pay. Su Qing's movement towards the wallet was met with a grip from the young man.
"The guy who got you the water?"
The guy who was admitted to Peking University was Zhang Yihan, her current deskmate.
Jiang Sui had no memory of what he looked like; he was generally unattractive.
Jiang Sui frowned, his tone indifferent. He casually pulled out his wallet and paid without hesitation, his expression slightly cold.
He held the bag of books in one hand and grasped Su Qing's hand with the other.
"Wait, that hurts..."
Her fair wrist was slightly red from the restraints. On her way out, Su Qing bit her lip and paused.
Seeing the redness, Jiang Sui released his hand, his expression slightly sour as he stared at the small, palm-sized face, which looked a little aggrieved.
Standing in the afternoon sun, the heat was a bit intense, causing Su Qing to squint as she adjusted to the bright light.
Before she could even buy the test paper, Jiang Sui pulled her out, looking angry.
"Jiang Sui, that book is because..."
"No need to explain. You can gift it to whoever you want."
Su Qing was barely able to finish her explanation when Jiang Sui coldly interrupted her.
"Oh."
"Then wait here for me. I have something else to buy."
Under the boy's cold, candid glare, she left him alone and went back into the bookstore.